G3D Mark is a standard benchmark that measures graphics performance in real-world gaming scenarios. It simplifies comparing cards from different brands, where higher scores directly correlate with better fps and smoother gaming experiences.

Radeon R9 290 vs Radeon R9 295X2 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with Ryzen 7 9800X3D to isolate GPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Radeon R9 290 vs Radeon R9 295X2: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each GPU makes more sense in practice: raw FPS, VRAM, features, power draw, pricing, and long-term headroom.

Radeon R9 290

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 252% more G3D Mark for each dollar spent, at 20.5 vs 5.8 G3D/$ ($399 MSRP vs $1,499 MSRP).
✅Draws 275W instead of 500W, a 225W reduction.
✅Measures 275mm instead of 307mm, a 32mm shorter card that is more SFF-friendly.

Trade-offs

❌Lower average FPS than Radeon R9 295X2 across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
❌Less VRAM, with 4 GB vs 8 GB for high-resolution textures and newer games.
❌2013 hardware with 4 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.

Radeon R9 295X2

2014

Why buy it

✅22.2% more average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data.
✅100% more VRAM for high-resolution textures and newer games (8 GB vs 4 GB).
✅More future proof: GCN 2.0 (2013−2017) on 28nm with a newer platform for upcoming games.

Trade-offs

❌2014 hardware with 8 GB of VRAM already sits in legacy territory for modern games.
❌
275.7% HIGHER MSRP
$1,499 MSRPvs$399 MSRP
❌Lower G3D Mark per dollar, at 5.8 vs 20.5 G3D/$ ($1,499 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌81.8% higher power demand at 500W vs 275W.
❌11.6% longer card at 307mm vs 275mm.

Quick Answers

Which GPU is faster for gaming right now?

Radeon R9 295X2 is the faster gaming card right now. In our data, it leads by 22.2% in average FPS across 50 tracked games in our benchmark data and by 6.7% in PassMark G3D (8,734 vs 8,184), so the answer here is pretty clean.

Which GPU is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond?

Radeon R9 290 is the safer long-term pick for 2026 and beyond because it comes out ahead on the available hardware-headroom signals for this matchup.

Which GPU is the better buy today?

Radeon R9 290 makes the most sense to buy today. It is $1,100 cheaper on MSRP at $399 vs $1,499, and it leads G3D-per-dollar by 252% (20.5 vs 5.8), which is enough to swing the recommendation its way. Radeon R9 295X2 still makes more sense if max raw gaming performance matters more than value.

Radeon R9 290 vs Radeon R9 295X2 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Radeon R9 290

The Radeon R9 290 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in November 5 2013. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The core clock speed is 947 MHz. It has 2560 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 275W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,184 points. Launch price was $399.

Radeon R9 295X2

The Radeon R9 295X2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in April 29 2014. It features the GCN 2.0 architecture. The boost clock speed is 1018 MHz. It has 2816 ×2 shading units. The thermal design power (TDP) is 500W. Manufactured using 28 nm process technology. G3D Mark benchmark score: 8,734 points. Launch price was $1,499.

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Graphics Performance

In G3D Mark, the Radeon R9 290 scores 8,184 versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 8,734 — the Radeon R9 295X2 leads by 6.7%. The Radeon R9 290 is built on GCN 2.0 while the Radeon R9 295X2 uses GCN 2.0, both on a 28 nm process. Shader units: 2,560 (Radeon R9 290) vs 2,816 (Radeon R9 295X2). Raw compute: 4.849 TFLOPS (Radeon R9 290) vs 5.733 TFLOPS ×2 (Radeon R9 295X2).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
G3D Mark Score	8,184	8,734+7%
Architecture	GCN 2.0	GCN 2.0
Process Node	28 nm	28 nm
Shading Units	2560	2816 ×2+10%
Compute (TFLOPS)	4.849 TFLOPS	5.733 TFLOPS ×2+18%
ROPs	64	64 ×2
TMUs	160	176 ×2+10%
L1 Cache	640 KB	704 KB+10%
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB
Frame Generation	FSR upscaling	FSR upscaling

✨

Advanced Features (DLSS/FSR)

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
Upscaling Tech	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4	FSR Upscaling / FSR 4
Frame Generation	Not Supported	Not Supported
Ray Reconstruction	No	No
Low Latency	AMD Anti-Lag	AMD Anti-Lag

💾

Video Memory (VRAM)

The Radeon R9 290 has 4 GB of VRAM, while the Radeon R9 295X2 carries 8 GB. Radeon R9 295X2 gives you 100% more memory capacity, which matters more once you move into heavier textures, mods, or higher resolutions. Memory bandwidth: 320 GB/s (Radeon R9 290) vs 320 GB/s x2 (Radeon R9 295X2) — a 900.6% advantage for the Radeon R9 295X2. Memory bus width is 512-bit on the Radeon R9 290 and 512-bit x2 on the Radeon R9 295X2.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
VRAM Capacity	4 GB	8 GB+100%
Memory Type	GDDR5	GDDR5
Memory Bandwidth	320 GB/s	320 GB/s x2
Bus Width	512-bit	512-bit x2
L2 Cache	1 MB	1 MB

🖥️

Display & API Support

DirectX support: 12.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs 12.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Vulkan: 1.2 vs 1.1. OpenGL: 4.6 vs 4.3. Maximum simultaneous displays: 6 vs 6.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
DirectX	12.0	12.0
Vulkan	1.2+9%	1.1
OpenGL	4.6+7%	4.3
Max Displays	6	6

🎬

Media & Encoding

Hardware encoder: VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 290) vs VCE 2.0 (Radeon R9 295X2). Decoder: UVD 4.2 vs UVD 4.2. Supported codecs: MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 290) vs MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1 (Radeon R9 295X2).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
Encoder	VCE 2.0	VCE 2.0
Decoder	UVD 4.2	UVD 4.2
Codecs	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1	MPEG-2,H.264,VC-1

🔌

Power & Dimensions

The Radeon R9 290 draws 275W versus the Radeon R9 295X2's 500W — a 58.1% difference. The Radeon R9 290 is more power-efficient. Recommended PSU: 750W (Radeon R9 290) vs 1000W (Radeon R9 295X2). Power connectors: 6-pin + 8-pin vs 2x 8-pin. Card length: 275mm vs 307mm, occupying 2 vs 2 slots. Typical load temperature: 95°C vs 65°C.

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
TDP	275W-45%	500W
Recommended PSU	750W-25%	1000W
Power Connector	6-pin + 8-pin	2x 8-pin
Length	275mm	307mm
Height	109mm	114mm
Slots	2	2
Temp (Load)	95°C	65°C-32%
Perf/Watt	29.8+70%	17.5

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Radeon R9 290 came in at $399, while the Radeon R9 295X2 launched at $1499. On MSRP, Radeon R9 290 was 73.4% cheaper ($1100 less). Performance per dollar on MSRP (G3D Mark / MSRP): 20.5 (Radeon R9 290) vs 5.8 (Radeon R9 295X2) — the Radeon R9 290 offers 253.4% better value. The newer card here is Radeon R9 295X2 (2014 vs 2013).

Feature	Radeon R9 290	Radeon R9 295X2
MSRP	$399-73%	$1499
Performance per Dollar	20.5+253%	5.8
Codename	Hawaii	Vesuvius
Release	November 5 2013	April 29 2014
Ranking	#316	#303

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